Draft-arm



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. LAMONT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES,

OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DRAFT-ARM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1918. Serial No. 232,759.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN A. LAMoNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Arms, of which'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to draft arms.

One of the objects of this invention is to simplify and improve draft arms and at the same time reduce the cost thereof.

Another object is to provide a draft arm which may be placed readily on cars which have been in service.

Another object is to provide a draft arm equipment having the parts thereof arranged for cooperative association to resist effectively all buiiing and pulling strains.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in whichf Figure 1 is a plan view of my draft arm equipment g Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and,

Figs. 3, 4l and 5 are sectional views taken, respectively, in the planes of lines 3-3, l--Ll and 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In this design I have in mind making draft arms cheaper than is possible with an all cast steel draft arm, and at the same time maintaining the proper amount of strength in the different parts thereof. In addition I have in mind applying this draft arm to cars already in service where it is desirable to avoid gaining off' the bottom of the sills, where they begin just inside the end sills and back a distance corresponding to the total length of the draft arm.

Most designs of draft arms on the market are so made that this gaining off one side of the sill is necessary. On most all designs there is a horizontal flange, as shown at 10, which embraces the lower surface of each of the center sills 11. As these sills rests on top of the body bolster 12, it is necessary either to gain the sills for this flange 10 or raise the car by the thickness of the flange. The latter plan is somewhat objectionable, as in raising the center sills to avoid this gain, thereby raising the car, shims must be used under all of the sills, which rest on top of the body bolster; that is, the side sills and intermediate sills. This is objectionable because these shims would have to be so thin that they would have to belmade of metal, as thin pieces of wood would soon split off.l and get out of position.

Therefore, I propose to provide an angle 13 with one leg vertically embracing the side of the sill and the other leg 10 embracing the lower surface of the sill and make this angle of a pressed shape rather than a rolled shape. In pressing it an offset 14 is provided immediately over the body bolster, the amount of offset being equal to the thickness ofthe plate from which the angle is made, so thatit will be necessary only to gain the center sills immediately over the body bolster for the reception of this offset lower horizontal flange of the pressed angle member. Forward and backward of the body bolster, the sills need Anot be gained, as the horizontal flange fits underneath the full depth of sills, which valready have been in service or may be in service.

Simply a plain angle, however, would not give the proper amount of strength over the front and back edges of the body bolster at the points 15 and 16, and to strengthen the structure at these points there is provided adj acent-each center sill member a relatively short piece of rolled metal 17 in the form of a channel. This channel 17 is riveted to the vertical leg of the angle 13. It isnecessary only to strengthen the arrangement on the two points 15 and 1G and ordinarily a short piece of channel material about three feet long is sufficient for this purpose. Therefore, some material is saved by making the member 13, which embraces the sill 11 of a pressed angle and a short piece of channel, rather than making the entire member of a rolled shape, which would necessarily have to be of a certain desired strength at the points 15 and 16. The cast steel body portion 18 of this structure is riveted to the pressed angle 13, as indicated at 19, and this cast steel portion may be of any shape to t any requirements as to type of vdraft gear, draft gear pockets, etc. v

yThe rear end of the cast steel member 18 is to have a bearing against the front edge of the body bolster and a certain amount of shock received through the draft gear, which will be incased by the cast steel portion, will be transmitted directly to the body Patented July 27, 1920.

bers 13 at a point just to the rear of the` body bolster. The shoulders thus provided will take care ofV the buiiing and pulling shocks. To the forward end of the pressed.v

angles 13 there are riveted two Vshort angles 21, which give a bearing against the inside of the end sill to deliver part of the pulling shocks to the end' sill at this point. The front ends of the oppositely arranged cast steel body members 18 extendunder and beyond the endV sill 22, and to theV protruding ends beyond the end sill vis secured the ordinary bulling block or striking casting 23.

It will be noted that at the top part of the body steel casting members 1S, there is provided a shoulder 24 for receiving the outer ends of the pressed angle members 13 for assisting in absorbing shocks.

For cases whe-re the strength of an all steel cast-arm is not required, this construction, which is relatively high in strength, has provento be very satisfactory in operation. Y Y Y Y Another advantage is the relatively inexpensive construction lincluding the pressed angle andY rolled channel members; Furthermore, by oiisetti-ng .the horizontal leg of the angle members- 13 immediately over the body bolster, it is unnecessary to gain the center sills, vexcepting at this particular A draft arm comprising a main. body portionV provided withv shoulders adjacent the end sill and the body bolster, an associated member secured1 thereto 4and having an offset portion over the body bolster, a reinforcing member operativelyfconnected toi said associated member and mounted.- over the body bolster, and a member secured to said associated member forming with the end of said body portion shoulders between which the body Ybolster is received, said associated member having one end thereof' engaging a shoulder on the body portion adjacent the endl si'll. Y f

Signed at of April, 1918. Y Y

' JOHN A. LAMQNT. Vit'nesses: i' i Y FREDERIC BNDER, W. W. BADGER.

Chicago,- Izllinois, this 12VY dayY 

